Adamsville, Tenn.–The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the body of Pauline Pusser, wife of the late “Walking Tall” Sheriff Buford Pusser, has been exhumed from the Adamsville Cemetery following a tip.
Pauline Pusser was fatally shot August 12, 1967, in McNairy County. She was in the car with her husband on the way to a disturbance call very early that morning. He was also shot, in the chin, but survived.
The TBI issued the following press release: “Today, TBI special agents were at the Adamsville Cemetery to oversee the exhumation of the body of Pauline Pusser. Pauline was fatally shot on August 12, 1967, in McNairy County, and the Tennessee Bureau of Criminal Identification was called in to investigate. As we have evolved to become the independent agency that we are today, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, this case has remained an active investigation. As with any unresolved case, agents have continued to reexamine files and follow any and all leads.
“A recent tip prompted a new review of the case file and the discovery was made that an autopsy was never performed on Mrs. Pusser’s body. With the support of Pauline’s family and in consultation with 25th Judicial District Attorney General Mark Davidson, TBI requested the exhumation in an attempt to answer critical questions and provide crucial information that may assist in identifying the person or persons responsible for Pauline Pusser’s death.”
Last summer, the TBI issued another press release stating that the agency maintains an open investigation into Pauline Pusser’s death and asking the public for information.